Iran Rebuilding Missile Sites Targeted by Israel During Extensive Air Strikes

Latest Developments

Missile Sites Under Reconstruction: Iran has reportedly begun to rebuild key missile production sites targeted by Israel during the June conflict that saw extensive Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities. Recent satellite imagery revealed that key buildings damaged by Israeli air strikes had either been rebuilt or were undergoing reconstruction at both the Shahroud and Parchin missile sites. However, Iran is still seeking to acquire planetary mixers — machines crucial for producing solid fuel for its ballistic missiles — with China identified as one possible supplier.
Pezeshkian Calls Airstrikes on Nuclear Sites ‘Grave Betrayal’: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against regime targets in June “a grave betrayal of diplomacy” while addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City on September 24. “The brazen aggression, in addition to murdering citizens, women, scientists, and intellectual elites of my country, inflicted a grievous blow upon the prospect of peace in the region,” he stated. Pezeshkian denied that Iran had sought to develop a nuclear weapon despite significantly advancing its production of highly enriched uranium shortly before Israel launched its airstrikes on June 13.
Iran and Russia Sign Memo To Build Nuclear Power Plants: Moscow and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on September 24 for the construction of eight small nuclear power plants in Iran. Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, and Mohammad Eslami, director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, penned the deal in Moscow. The Islamic Republic currently operates only one nuclear reactor — also built by Russia — in the city of Bushehr, which went into commercial operation in 2013.

FDD Expert Response

“For Iran’s rulers, Israel’s success in targeting the regime’s missile program has reinforced the importance of developing more, qualitatively better missiles. Despite recent intelligence that Iran is rebuilding its missile capabilities, the country has carried out only two documented missile tests since the end of the conflict in June. These tests underscore the importance of imposing ‘snapback’ sanctions to prevent Tehran from accessing material to advance its missile program.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow

“Iran’s renewed efforts to reconstitute its previously vast missile arsenal should be a major priority for the United States. The Treasury Department, along with law enforcement and customs officials, should directly target international companies attempting to provide Iran with the means to produce solid rocket fuel and other missile components. In tandem with stemming the flow of constituent parts to Iran for its missile arsenal, the United States should also accelerate arms smuggling detection capabilities with countries in the region to permanently blunt the threat of Iranian missiles being proliferated to nonstate actors and terrorist groups.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Government Relations, FDD Action

“Russia’s nuclear cooperation with Iran runs afoul of U.S. law, but both the Biden and Trump administrations have yet to enforce it. Neither country should gain from civil nuclear cooperation — Russia is bombing Ukraine and occupying its nuclear plant, and Iran is refusing IAEA safeguards over its nuclear program.” — Andrea Stricker, Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow